Refrigerator storage unit



Nov. 13, 1962 R. w. KENNEDY REFRIGERATOR STORAGE UNIT 2 Sheets-Shoot 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1961 R O T m. G I ll 4 F 4 l I 3 I I 7/ w? I I N 2 6 x I 2 l .k

ROBERT VV. KENNEDY BY fM f.

ATTORN EY Nov. 13, 1962 R. w. KENNEDY 3,063,772

REFRIGERATOR STORAGE UNIT Filed Jan. 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 53 y I I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,063,772 REFRIGERATOR STGRAGE UNIT Robert W. Kennedy, Hilliard, Ghio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 84,651 6 Claims. ($1. 312--308) This invention relates to refrigeration apparatus, especially cabinets therefor, and to storage units which have a storage compartment and removable storage containers positioned side by side in the compartment.

Refrigerator cabinets and storage units of the type set forth are usually equipped with doors having shelves on the inner surface thereof for the storage of articles desired to be readily accessible. One problem with storage shelves on the inside of the door is that they usually project in such a manner as to obstruct the removal of at least one of the storage containers when the door is in open position. This problem has arisen, for example, when a refrigerator is mounted in the corner of a room and a nearby wall or other obstruction prevents the door from being opened beyond 90 degrees. In this situation the storage shelves on the inside of the door lie in the ordinary removal path for the storage container closest to the hinge axis of the door. It is the principal object of the present invention to overcome this difiiculty.

The present invention is applicable, therefore, to stor-. age units comprising structure defining a storage compartment and an access opening thereto. The compartment includes first and second storage regions arranged side by side so as to be accessible through the access opening; and there are first and second storage containers disposed in the respective storage regions. The storage containers are supported for independent horizontal movement into and out of the compartment through the access opening on supporting means, such as glides. According to the present invention, the supporting means, or glides, for the first, or normally obstructed, container are horizontally movable into at least a portion of the adjacent, second storage region while the second storage container is out of the compartment. When the first con tainer is to be completely removed, the first, or normally obstructed, container is moved with its supporting means in a horizontal direction, transverse to its direction of removal, into the adjacent storage region. This action shifts the path of removal of the first container for the purpose of bypassing the obstruction presented by the door shelves.

The various objects, features and advantages of the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a domestic refrig-. erator embodying the invention and showing one 'door thereof in an ajar position;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the refrigerator of FIG. 1, but showing one storage container removed and the other shifted to one side;

tail the supporting means for the container and associated structure permitting its movement from side to side. in the compartment;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line IVIV of FIG. 1 to illustrate further the structure of FIG. 3, together with a fragment of the storage container;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but having parts broken away and omitting the glass partition, and showing the invention in modified form;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing in de- FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional View taken along line VIIIVIII of FIG. 6.

The invention has been applied to a cabinet 10 of a domestic refrigerator having a food storage compartment and an access opening thereto; however, the invention is not limited to domestic refrigerators. A door 14 is mounted on hinges 16 for swinging movement about a vertical axis and provides a closure for the access opening.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the storage compartment is divided by a horizontally extending glass partition 13 into an upper or general storage zone 18 and a lower or special storage zone comprising left and right storage regions (as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2) arranged side by side and designated by the reference numerals 2t and 22, respectively. The storage region 20 can be used for the storage of meats, for example, and the storage region 22 can be used for the storage of vegetables, fruits and the like. A bin or container 24 for meats is disposed in the storage region 20; and a so-called crisper bin or container 26 is disposed in the storage region 22. Both containers 24 and 26 are open at the top. Preferably the glass partition 13 is stationarily mounted in the compartment by means of a double channel frame 30 of E.-shaped cross section and rectangular configuration, the glass partition 13 being received in the upper channel portion of the frame, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

On the inner surface of the door 14 is provided suitable shelving 32 for holding such frequently used articles as milk containers, condiments and the like. When the door is moved to an open position wherein it extends generally at right angles to the plane of the access Opening, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shelving 32 projects horizontally, beyond a plane containing the inner surface of that side wall 34 closest to the hinges 16, toward the opposite side wall 36. In this position of the door 14, the crisper container 26 can be moved forwardly only to a limited extent, and cannot be completely removed from the storage region 22 because the shelving 32 presents an obstruction in its path of removal. It is: to be understood, however, that the invention may be practiced when other kinds of obstructions besides door shelving prevent the complete removal of a storage container. 1

Referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the storage container 26 is provided with horizontally extending fianges 40 which rest on spaced glides 42 and 43 extending horizontally, from front to rear, of the compartment; This arrangement permits the container 26 to be carried for sliding movement into and out of the compartment through the access opening in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal extent of the glides 42 and '43, i.e., forwardly and rearwardly. The glides 42 and 43 are rigidly connected together at corresponding front'and rear ends thereof by transversely extending tie bars 44. The latter each have one overhanging, horizontally extending edge received in the lower channel of the frame 30 for sliding movement therein. The tie bars 44 extend transversely, between the cabinet side walls 34 and 36, only to the same transverse extent as the crisper storage region 22. Together, the glides 42 and 43 and the tie bars 44 comprise a slide structure 46 which is slidable on the mentioned lower channel portions of the frame 30 in a horizontal direction between the walls 34 and 36, and from one storage region to another. Likewise, the storage container 26, when carried by the slide structure 46, is movable therewith from one storage region to another, provided the other storage container 24 is not occupying its storage region 20 to block such movement.

For supporting the storage container 24 there is a stationary glide 48 which is shown fragmentarily in FIG. 3. Glide 48 is similar in construction and orientation in the cabinet to the glide 42, and it is secured to the inner surface of the cabinet side wall 36. The storage container 24 is similar in construction to the storage container 26, and it has similar flanges 40 which are slidably supported on glides, as will be explained. The glide 43, being of T-shaped cross section, differs from the glides 42 and 48 which are of L-shaped cross section, in that glide 43 provides two horizontally extending glide surfaces, one for each of the adjacent flanges 40 of the respective containers 24 and 26. It can be seen, therefore, that the glide 43 is a common supporting member for both storage containers.

Removal of the storage container 26 is accomplished by first removing'the storage container 24 entirely from the compartment, after which the slide structure 46 together with the storage container 26' is shifted horizontally away from the side wall 34 and toward the side wall 36 at least partly into the storage region 20, or at least far enough so that the path of removal of the storage container 26 will bypass the obstruction presented by the door shelving 32. Complete removal of the storage container 26 may be desired for loading and unloading articles to be stored therein, and also for cleaning the interior of the refrigerator. For ordinary day to day use, however, both containers 24 and 26 may be retained in their respective storage regions; and the storage container 26 may be pulled forwardly a distance sufficient to permit access thereto through the portion of its open top not covered by the glass partition 13.

Modification In FIGS. to 8 there is illustrated a modified form of the invention, and like reference numerals are employed therein to designate parts similar to the previously described embodiment of the invention.

The most significant difference in this modified form of the invention concerns the stationary and movable glides on which the storage containers 24 and 26 are supported, as well as the associated structure which coopcrates with the glides to permit removal of the container which would otherwise have its path of removal blocked by the door shelving 32.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 8, stationary glides 50 and 51 are provided which are constructed and 'stationarily mounted on the respective side walls 34 and 36 of the cabinet similar to the stationary glide 48 of the previous embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

The common or movable glide member in this form of the invention is of inverted T-shaped cross section, and it is designated by the reference numeral 53. It is secured at its rear end, as by a rivet 54, to a rectangular frame 55 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis extending through the rivet. The frame 55 is generally of channel shape for receiving the edges of the glass partition 13. At the forward end of the movable glide member 53 is a generally flat 'plate 56 which is secured to the glide 53, as by a countersunk'screw 57, and which bears against an upper surface of the lower portion of the frame 5 5 to hold the glide 53 against downward move-' rneut. The frame 55 has a wider channel cross section at a middle portion of the front leg thereof, as shown in FIG. 8, than at the side legs thereof, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in order to accommodate the plate 56 as well as the glass partition 13. The enlarged channel portion of the frame 55 has upwardly inclined end portions 58 which serve "as stops to limit the transverse movement of the movable glide 53'; and this provision guards against the forward end of the movable glide 53 being moved off the supporting frame 55.

Plate 56 is slidable on the frame 55, from side to side,

so as to permit the front end of movable glide 53 to be moved about its pivoted rear end toward the storage region 20, thus permitting enlargement of the area at the access opening, if desired, for removing the container 26. Thus, the container 26 may be moved with the front end of the glide '53 away from the side wall 34 of the cabinet 10 toward the side wall 36 and the storage region 20. This provision permits the ordinarily obstructed container 26 to be pulled forwardly from the storage region 22 and, in the absence of the other container 24, to be swung by its forward end away from the side wall 34 so that the path of removal thereafter will be along a linemaking an acute angle with the side Wall 34 and which bypasses the door shelving 32.

The contacting surfaces of the container flanges 40 and the glides 53 and 50 are in sufficient overlapping relationship, and the contacting surfaces of the plate 56 and frame 55 are in sufiicient overlapping relationship so that the container 26 is supported during removal even after the glide 53 has been shifted toward the adjacent storage region 20.

While the invention has been shown in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A storage unit comprising structure defining a storage compartment and an access opening thereto, said compartment including first and second storage regions arranged side by side and so as to be accessible through said opening, first and second storage containers disposed, respectively, in said first and second storage regions, means supporting said containers for independent horizontal movement into and out of said compartment through said access opening in a first direction, and a door hinged to said structure for closing said access opening and having an obstruction on its inner side which, when the door is opened ninety degrees, permits limited movement of said first storage container but prevents complete removal thereof from said storage compartment, said supporting means for said first container being horizontally movable with said first container in a direction transverse to said first direction into at least a portion of said second storage region when said second storage container is out of said compartment to permit complete removal of said first container from the storage compartment.

2. A storage unit comprising structure defining a storage compartment and an access opening thereto, said compartment including a plurality of adjoining storage regions each accessible through said access opening, a storage container disposed in each of said storage regions, means independently supporting at least one of said containers for movement along a line extending through said access opening, and a door hinged to said structure for closing said access opening and having an obstruction on its inner side which, when the door is opened ninety degrees, permits limitedmovement of said one storage container but prevents complete removal thereof from the storage compartment, said supporting means for said one container being movable with said one container into at least a portion of one of said adjacent storage regions when it is unoccupied by a storage container to permit complete removal of said one container from the storage compartment.

3. A storage unit comprising structure defining a storage compartment and an access opening thereto, said compartment including a plurality of adjoining storage regions each accessible through said access opening, a storage container disposed in each of said storage regions, a door for closing said accessopening and having an obstruction on its inner side which, when the door is opened ninety degrees, prevents complete removal of one storage container from said storage compartment, but permits limited movement thereof, a frame, slide structure supporting said one container and slidably supported by said frame for movement in a first direction from one storage region to another when the latter said region is unoccupied by a container, said one container being slidably supported by said slide structure for movement in a direction transverse to said first direction.

4. A storage unit comprising structure defining a storage compartment and an access opening thereto, said compartment including first and second storage regions each accessible through said access opening, a storage container disposed in each of said storage regions, first and second glide members supporting one of said containers, third and fourth glide members supporting a secondcontainer adjacent to said first container, said glide members providing means for movement of each container in a first direction along a line extending through said access opening, said second and third glide members being located sideby-side in fixed relation to each other, but horizontally movable, in relation to said fourth glide member, in a direction transverse to said first direction when said second storage container is removed from said compartment. 5. A storage unit comprising structure defining a storage compartment and an access opening thereto, said compartment including first and second storage regions each accessible through said access opening, a storage container disposed in each of said storage regions, a frame, first and second glide members supporting one container,

third and fourth glide members supporting a second container adjacent said first container,

both said first and said second containers being slidably supported by said glide members for movement in a line extending through said access opening,

said first, second and third glide members being held in fixed relation, with said second and third glide members located side by side and being slidably supported in said frame for movement horizontally toward and away from said fourth glide member When said adjacent container is removed.

6. A storage unit comprising structure defining a storage compartment and an access opening thereto,

said compartment including first and second storage regions each accessible through said access opening,

a storage container dispsed in each of said storage regions,

a frame,

first and second glide members supporting one of said containers,

third and fourth glide members supporting a second container adjacent to said first container,

both said first and said second containers being slidably supported by said glide members for movement in a line extending through said access opening.

said second and third glide members, located side by side and in fixed relation, being pivotally mounted on said frame to provide horizontal movement toward and away from said fourth glide member when said second container is removed.

Calderon Aug. 20, 1957 Snethen Mar. 3, 1959 

